To date, studies focusing on the connection between psychological
functioning and autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity usually adopted
the one-dimensional model of autonomic balance, according to which
activation of one branch of the ANS is accompanied by an inhibition of
the other. However, the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches also
activate independently; thus, co-activation and co-inhibition may occur.
The autonomic balance and regulatory capacity model accounts for such a
diversity of autonomic activities. In the present study, we adopted a
refinement of this model to assess how markers of the autonomic space
relate to several critical psychological constructs: emotional contagion
(EC), general anxiety, and positive and negative affect (PA and NA). We
analyzed data from 408 healthy students, who underwent a 5-minute
baseline period as part of their participation in several experiments
and then completed self-reported questionnaires. During the baseline,
electrocardiogram (ECG), electrodermal activity (EDA), and respiratory
activity were recorded. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), as well as
cross-system autonomic balance (CSAB) and regulation (CSAR), were
calculated. A comparison between psychological and physiological indices
revealed distinct patterns of psychological associations for each
physiological index: CSAB was positively correlated with EC and
negatively correlated with PA and NA. Negative associations were noted
between CSAR and EC. EDA was positively correlated with PA and NA and
negatively linked to EC. We thus provide support for using the
two-dimensional autonomic space framework in psychophysiological
research. The advantages of the autonomic balance and regulatory
capacity model are discussed.
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